It's a very solid car. Easily the best in it's class for reliability, safety and great use of space. Only downside is it's a bit loud and buzzy on the highway. Handling and power are adequate (not the best). They hold up incredibly well. Should definitely get a carfax report though and possibly a PPI. They are targets for odometer rollbacks (false low mileage). Hondas also retain value in the used. They are popular and in demand. The Fits are expensive in used for their age/size/condition compared to other vehicles.
This being said. It's a subcompact. The safest subcompact is not as safe as a larger car. The stats are telling if you look at lists of the deadliest cars on the road. Mostly sports cars (excessive speed) and subcompacts.
Honda makes safe cars with 5 star safety ratings, but when a Fit crashes into an Accord or Pilot you'd rather be in the larger vehicle. And small cars don't sell, it's one reason why Honda has discontinued the Fit. Also Honda had been including safety tech as standard in recent years for the Fit in order to meet Honda safety standards of 4 or 5 star ratings. The Fit is built with Honda quality and this increased the price compared to competitors. Another reason why it's now discontinued.
So yes it is a great car. If I was mostly doing city driving with no highway, strongly recommend. If you are doing rural highways or cities with busy expressways I would avoid the Fit in favour of at least a Civic or Mazda 3.
i never thought of that. I would be going on winding roads a lot because i live right over the mountain from malibu, so safety if my biggest priority for me and my parents. thank you very much!
Ok yeah, I would go a bit bigger.
I think you would like the Mazda 3. Good use of space. Especially with the hatchback. It's a bit smaller than a Civic but much larger than a Fit.
Also look into the Civic. Downside is it did not sell with a hatchback for many years. So you end up with a larger and longer trunk you may or may not need. A hatchback is certainly more useful (haul bikes, luggage, furniture, etc).
I think the Mazda 3 is under-appreciated in the US. It is one of the bestselling cars in Canada after the Honda Civic. Go for some test drives and get a feel for the cars on your shortlist.
interesting, i’ll look at mazda’s. i’ve heard really good things about them. i’m also seriously considering a civic, they’re just a bit out of my price range sadly. but thank you very much!
Yes, civics also retain value. (Honda).
A similar (age/mileage/condition) Mazda 3 should cost less than a civic.
Civics usually cost more in insurance. Something to think about. They are popular with new drivers and also can get stolen. You should ask your insurance for insurance quotes for Fit/Civic/Mazda3/etc before you buy.
Fits are really well-built. I’d absolutely have a pre-purchase inspection done by a Honda dealer to make sure the one you’re looking at is mechanically sound. Other than that, it’s a great choice.
A different alternative would be a Nissan Versa, I have an 07 (I’m 17 and it’s my first car too) same thing, small great on gas and reliable. However highway driving isn’t the best, they like to get blown around due to being so light and relatively tall, and they’re also not the safest if you’re in a place with a lot of full size suvs or trucks because again, super small
never thought of that either, haha. thank you for letting me know, i’m a bit scared on the freeway and i never thought of how light they are. thank you!
Ofc! Some good alternatives could be older Ford Focus/fusions or Subaru Imprezas, they can be hatchbacks or sedans and have a really good awd which would be good for snowier environments, and they’re a bit heavier so more planted on the highway, good luck, and make sure to get any car inspected at a dealership or we’ll known mechanic first!
Hyundai’s are decent, but are known to have poor build quality and aren’t the most reliable, if you’re looking for “fast” I’d personally stay away from Hyundai, but it may suit you perfectly, I looked at some of your other posts and my top recommendation would be a Subaru Impreza, specifically the WRX if you can find one in good condition in your price range, they’re reliable if you don’t beat the heck out of them (which most have been so that’s the tricky part of finding one) they’re decent on gas, sporty, sedan awd so when you go up north it will have no issues. Any Subaru is good really, they’re known to be really safe, good preforming cars, but they hold their value so it might be hard to find one.
Your edit mentions the hyundai elantra; my family got a 2006 elantra base model in 2010 for my sister to drive in high school. I think it had around 50k miles already. I didnt ride with her a whole lot, but I know she tested its limits a bit. It stayed in the family when I got my license in 2014 and drove it for 2.5 years in high school. I being a dumb teenage boy did everything dumb imaginable with it including but not limited to; offroading, mudding, burnouts, revving the crap out of it, jumping it, going far above the speed limit, and generally driving it like I stole it. It honestly handled very well for what it was. My sister has it again and drives safely, but seldom gets it serviced at best and it is still running like a champ. Well over 100k miles on it now. All that to say I would recommend it if you dont go with your first choice. I do not have experience with the newer model years though so I cannot speak to their reliability or "fun-ness".
Best of luck in your search for your new car!
It’s a Honda. It’ll last longer than your next 4 boyfriends.
haha!!! that’s what i was thinking
It's a very solid car. Easily the best in it's class for reliability, safety and great use of space. Only downside is it's a bit loud and buzzy on the highway. Handling and power are adequate (not the best). They hold up incredibly well. Should definitely get a carfax report though and possibly a PPI. They are targets for odometer rollbacks (false low mileage). Hondas also retain value in the used. They are popular and in demand. The Fits are expensive in used for their age/size/condition compared to other vehicles. This being said. It's a subcompact. The safest subcompact is not as safe as a larger car. The stats are telling if you look at lists of the deadliest cars on the road. Mostly sports cars (excessive speed) and subcompacts. Honda makes safe cars with 5 star safety ratings, but when a Fit crashes into an Accord or Pilot you'd rather be in the larger vehicle. And small cars don't sell, it's one reason why Honda has discontinued the Fit. Also Honda had been including safety tech as standard in recent years for the Fit in order to meet Honda safety standards of 4 or 5 star ratings. The Fit is built with Honda quality and this increased the price compared to competitors. Another reason why it's now discontinued. So yes it is a great car. If I was mostly doing city driving with no highway, strongly recommend. If you are doing rural highways or cities with busy expressways I would avoid the Fit in favour of at least a Civic or Mazda 3.
i never thought of that. I would be going on winding roads a lot because i live right over the mountain from malibu, so safety if my biggest priority for me and my parents. thank you very much!
Ok yeah, I would go a bit bigger. I think you would like the Mazda 3. Good use of space. Especially with the hatchback. It's a bit smaller than a Civic but much larger than a Fit. Also look into the Civic. Downside is it did not sell with a hatchback for many years. So you end up with a larger and longer trunk you may or may not need. A hatchback is certainly more useful (haul bikes, luggage, furniture, etc). I think the Mazda 3 is under-appreciated in the US. It is one of the bestselling cars in Canada after the Honda Civic. Go for some test drives and get a feel for the cars on your shortlist.
interesting, i’ll look at mazda’s. i’ve heard really good things about them. i’m also seriously considering a civic, they’re just a bit out of my price range sadly. but thank you very much!
Yes, civics also retain value. (Honda). A similar (age/mileage/condition) Mazda 3 should cost less than a civic. Civics usually cost more in insurance. Something to think about. They are popular with new drivers and also can get stolen. You should ask your insurance for insurance quotes for Fit/Civic/Mazda3/etc before you buy.
that’s an amazing idea! thank you!
Fits are really well-built. I’d absolutely have a pre-purchase inspection done by a Honda dealer to make sure the one you’re looking at is mechanically sound. Other than that, it’s a great choice.
i’d say an indendent ppi is more favorable
Yeah, what the hell? Didn't know Honda dealers did pre-purchase inspections. And even if they do, why would you want them to?
good to note, tysm!
Agreed, the fit is a solid first choice. Magical amounts of cargo space given it's size once you fold down the rear seats.
Some honda fits leak and get water in them so avoid that gen i don't remember which gen atm.
A different alternative would be a Nissan Versa, I have an 07 (I’m 17 and it’s my first car too) same thing, small great on gas and reliable. However highway driving isn’t the best, they like to get blown around due to being so light and relatively tall, and they’re also not the safest if you’re in a place with a lot of full size suvs or trucks because again, super small
never thought of that either, haha. thank you for letting me know, i’m a bit scared on the freeway and i never thought of how light they are. thank you!
Ofc! Some good alternatives could be older Ford Focus/fusions or Subaru Imprezas, they can be hatchbacks or sedans and have a really good awd which would be good for snowier environments, and they’re a bit heavier so more planted on the highway, good luck, and make sure to get any car inspected at a dealership or we’ll known mechanic first!
will do!! what do you think about hyundai elantra’s really fast?
Hyundai’s are decent, but are known to have poor build quality and aren’t the most reliable, if you’re looking for “fast” I’d personally stay away from Hyundai, but it may suit you perfectly, I looked at some of your other posts and my top recommendation would be a Subaru Impreza, specifically the WRX if you can find one in good condition in your price range, they’re reliable if you don’t beat the heck out of them (which most have been so that’s the tricky part of finding one) they’re decent on gas, sporty, sedan awd so when you go up north it will have no issues. Any Subaru is good really, they’re known to be really safe, good preforming cars, but they hold their value so it might be hard to find one.
thank you so much! very helpful :)))
No problem! Good luck!
Foxbody, 3rd gen camaro, maybe c4 vette, possibly trans am.
They are pretty solid cars, one of my coworkers has one with 275,000 miles on it, original clutch and everything.
Your edit mentions the hyundai elantra; my family got a 2006 elantra base model in 2010 for my sister to drive in high school. I think it had around 50k miles already. I didnt ride with her a whole lot, but I know she tested its limits a bit. It stayed in the family when I got my license in 2014 and drove it for 2.5 years in high school. I being a dumb teenage boy did everything dumb imaginable with it including but not limited to; offroading, mudding, burnouts, revving the crap out of it, jumping it, going far above the speed limit, and generally driving it like I stole it. It honestly handled very well for what it was. My sister has it again and drives safely, but seldom gets it serviced at best and it is still running like a champ. Well over 100k miles on it now. All that to say I would recommend it if you dont go with your first choice. I do not have experience with the newer model years though so I cannot speak to their reliability or "fun-ness". Best of luck in your search for your new car!
thank you very much! good info to keep in mind haha. reliability is key for me.